A corrupt cop who takes bribes at the drop of a hat suddenly discovering the virtues of honesty? Now, that's a plot twist.
Except, in Gajab Raat, it is less gasp-inducing and more head-scratching. The Netflix thriller, directed by Ritesh Shah and co-written by Neeraj Pandey, has corruption, a vaccine scam, and a morally conflicted protagonist, but very little convincing writing.
There is hardly any gajabness (wonderment) here, only ajabness (bafflement).The film's earlier title, Ghooskhor Pandat, was far more interesting. Cheeky and instantly evocative, it captured the protagonist's questionable ethics.
Perhaps the makers could have replaced 'Pandat' with another surname to avoid outrage while retaining that irreverent flavour. Because Gajab Raat promises intrigue and madness but delivers a thriller that struggles to make its twists interesting.Meet Ajay Nirvet (Manoj Bajpayee), a sub-inspector who has spent 20 years stuck in the same position.
Not that he has any grand ambitions or dreams of climbing the professional ladder. Easy money is all that matters.
He leads a raid at a seedy, B-grade hotel, rounding up unmarried couples under the pretext of cracking down on prostitution. His real agenda is to arm-twist the owner into giving the police a bigger cut.His personal life is equally messy.
His relationship with his wife is strained, and his womanising ways extend to a transactional association with a sex worker. Ajay is perfectly comfortable with corruption, making his eventual transformation all the more difficult to buy.
Things get interesting when a badly injured young woman jumps out of a moving car near Connaught Place. The man with her, played by Akshay Oberoi, looks impossibly mysterious, and there is clearly something sinister at play.
Ajay is assigned the case, initially suspected to involve sexual assault, and a woman commissioner, played by Shraddha Das, enters the picture.Soon, Oberoi's character claims to be a CBI officer and insists on taking over the investigation, explaining that the woman is a mole in a major drug case. Before Ajay can turn the case into another money-making opportunity, Saqib Saleem's character arrives, claiming to be from the NIA and demanding control.
When multiple agencies want the same case, you know something bigger is brewing. An attempt to kill the woman in the hospital adds to the intrigue.
We also meet her parents, who reveal how she was born prematurely, fought to survive and grew up wanting to become a journalist who could change the world. Her father encouraged her to follow her dreams, while her mother wonders whether choosing the righteous path was worth the cost.The emotional intent is clear.
The woman's courage could make Ajay confront his own choices after two decades of exploiting his position. But the film doesn't establish that connection convincingly.
One moment, he is a corrupt cop who sees every case as an opportunity to make money; the next, he is preaching honesty and the importance of balance. It is less a moral awakening than a U-turn without an indicator.Morally grey characters can make for compelling OTT viewing, but their journeys need to be earned.
What makes a lifelong opportunist question his choices? Gajab Raat barely explores this, simply flipping a switch and expecting us to believe Ajay has seen the light.The investigation eventually leads to a vaccine scam involving some of the country's most powerful people.
While the specific scam is not easy to predict, the larger power game becomes apparent. Those on the ground are merely pawns, while powerful figures in the administrative machinery call the shots.
It is a relevant premise, highlighting how institutions meant to protect citizens are compromised by people driven by money and ambition rather than public service.Unfortunately, coming from Neeraj Pandey, whose thrillers are known for suspense, political intrigue and layered conspiracies, the writing feels surprisingly pedestrian. The plot moves at a brisk pace, but speed is not suspense.
The twists are banal, the revelations lack punch, and the investigation rarely generates tension. A conspiracy reaching the highest levels of power should feel far more gripping.Manoj Bajpayee, thankfully, gives us a reason to stay.
He has played several police officers, but Ajay's cheekiness and sinister streak make him entertaining. Bajpayee captures the casual confidence of a man who has spent years gaming the system, making his greed and shamelessness thoroughly believable.
He remains the film's biggest asset and its only real saving grace.Divya Dutta makes an impression as a politician despite limited screen time, while Rajiv Gupta brings welcome fun through his banter with Bajpayee. Oberoi looks dapper but has little to do, and Saleem is similarly underutilised.
Shraddha Das's woman commissioner is wasted, as are Kiku Sharda and much of the supporting cast. Nushrratt Bharuccha's track feels unnecessary, with her exaggerated, almost permanently switched-on laugh becoming irritating rather quickly.
Her character adds little to the investigation or Ajay's development.Ultimately, Gajab Raat has a promising premise but lacks the writing to make it click. Even the humour is inconsistent, and the idea that a Kashmiri woman could be passed off as Russian or Indo-British feels bizarre and racially tone-deaf, especially when Manoj Bajpayee’s character suggests that her complexion and hair make the claim believable.- Ends